DEVELOP3D LIVE 2017 conference and exhibition preview

DEVELOP3D LIVE 2017 (Warwick, March 28) offers the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the very latest design, visualisation, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. Tickets are free – so claim yours now

Whirlpool’s Interactive Kitchen of the Future Hammerhead VR will be one of many leading firms presenting design viz and VR projects at DEVELOP3D LIVE 2017

On March 28 at Warwick University DEVELOP3D LIVE will open its doors for the sixth time to showcase the very latest in design, engineering, visualisation, VR and 3D printing technology.

Leading firms including Jaguar, Porsche, Microsoft, JCB and Speedo will share secrets of how technology helps them bring products to market faster. CAD software developers including Autodesk, Onshape and SolidWorks will present future visions for design technology.

DEVELOP3D LIVE is no BIM conference but that is to its advantage. There is much to learn from the fast-paced automotive, product design and manufacturing sectors which continually push the boundaries of design technology.

Alister Whelan, Creative Director of Jaguar Interiors, will give an insight into the design of the Jaguar I-PACE Concept five-seater sports car

Design viz and VR

One of the big focuses for this year’s event is a dedicated conference stream for design visualisation, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). There will be rendering experts on hand from Chaos Group (maker of V-Ray), Lightworks (Iray+) and AMD (Radeon ProRender), discussing new visualisation technologies and giving tips on how to cut render times.

There will also be appearances by specialists in graphics processing units (GPUs) and workstations from AMD and HP, together with customers showcasing innovative applications of design visualisation in product design, apparel, interior design and marketing. Andre Matos, 3D Artist at Porsche, will be talking fast renders for fast cars.

Back in the 1980s, VR was still the stuff of science fiction. All R&D systems required a room full of computers to deliver a very blocky and limited experience. In the past two years, games technology, graphics acceleration and portable computing power have driven the development and release of consumer-priced headsets. While these are relatively expensive for gamers, they are very reasonable for commercial applications, such as engineering and architectural design. Many are fixated on providing ‘experiences’, but these technologies are already impacting the design process, playing a key role in sanity checking designs, as well as providing digital spaces in which to explore new ideas, either immersively or in AR.

Leila Martine, Microsoft UK, will present the HoloLens

DEVELOP3D LIVE will host key players in this space. HTC, the creator of the HTC Vive VR headset, will be presenting alongside Microsoft with the Hololens mixed-reality system. There will also be talks from VR specialist Hammerhead VR (see AEC Magazine September/October 2016), Soluis and an exciting VR conceptual development tool from Gravity Sketch, which lets designers model in an immersive world.

HTC will be showcasing the HTC Vive and there will be plenty of opportunities to get hands on with the VR headset

The VR Zone

Hearing people talk about Virtual Reality (VR) is one thing, but there is no substitute to experiencing it yourself by putting on a VR headset. This year, DEVELOP3D LIVE has a dedicated VR Zone on the exhibition show floor where delegates can try out the very latest VR technologies for design and engineering.

The ‘father of BIM’

If you are in need of a BIM ‘fix’, don’t despair. Dr Jonathan Ingram, who designed and wrote the first BIM systems, will be speaking at DEVELOP3D LIVE. His presentation, ‘The story of BIM: Fact, fantasy and the future’, will feature case studies illustrating the first use of BIM in engineering, architecture, building services and others in the 1980s and 1990s and demonstrate direct links with today’s software from Graphisoft, Revit, Reflex, Sonata and others.

Exhibition

DEVELOP3D LIVE features a huge exhibition with over 60 stands. There will be many new-to-market products on show and plenty to touch and see. See develop3dlive.com/exhibitors for a full rundown of who will be there.

Conference

DEVELOP3D LIVE boasts four concurrent conference streams, featuring a range of designers, engineers and industry specialists. Topics include product design, engineering, 3D printing, fabrication, design viz and VR. See develop3dlive.com/conference-program-2017/ for the full programme.